NEW ORLEANS – Power outages skyrocketed as damage reports continued to come in Tuesday as a severe weather outbreak rocked portions of Texas and Oklahoma early in the day, and now the line of tornado-producing storms is bringing damaging winds blasting through Mississippi and Louisiana, including New Orleans.Tens of millions of people from the lower Mississippi Valley to the Southeast are bracing for thunderstorms capable of producing hurricane-force wind gusts, large hail, and even tornadoes.HOW TO WATCH FOX WEATHERA Tornado Watch remains in effect for portions of the Florida Panhandle, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana, including Orleans Parish, where Mardi Gras festivities are underway. Before nightfall on Tuesday, the NWS issued over 40 Tornado Warnings and 120 severe Thunderstorm Warnings and the severe weather outbreak is forecast to continue into Wednesday. Tornadoes have been confirmed across Texas, Oklahoma and Louisiana as part of the ongoing severe weather outbreak. More than 45 million people from far East Texas to the Southeast remain at risk of severe weather into Tuesday night and power outages surpassed more than half a million people. However, on its 5-point severe thunderstorm risk scale, the SPC placed more than 8 million people at a Level 3 out of 5 risk of severe weather. This includes cities such as New Orleans and Baton Rouge in Louisiana, Mobile in Alabama and Jackson in Mississippi.Law enforcement in Gramercy, part of the New Orleans metro area, reported a possible tornado Tuesday evening with structural damage.West of New Orleans in Ascension Parish, law enforcement responded to a possible tornado on Tuesday evening that damaged five homes in the community of Darrow. “Well, this weather certainly was not on our bingo card for 2025 Mardi Gras. Fortunately, things appear to have calmed down in our area,” Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office wrote on social media.Gusting winds slammed into the Gulf Coast state on Tuesday, bringing a gust of 70 mph in Fort Polk, Louisiana, where a trailer was overturned.According to damage reports, a roof was blown off a building in downtown Lake Charles, where the video below shows traffic lights moving in the wind. Multiple trees down were reported fallen onto homes in Natchitoches, Louisiana, according to the NWS.Dangerous gusting winds continue to be the most prevalent threat from this line of storms, with damage and power outages as far east as Nashville, Tennessee.It was a windy Fat Tuesday in New Orleans throughout the day, with a peak gust reported of 67 mph, but that didn’t stop the celebrations.The city’s iconic parades adapted to the storms, with the Zulu and Rex krewes shortening their parade routes and starting earlier than usual.FOX Weather Correspondent Robert Ray reports that despite the severe weather forecast, the crowds were still out in their Mardi Gras best, holding onto their costumes in the windy conditions. As the line of storms swept into Alabama Tuesday evening, the combination of frequent lightning and dry conditions led to multiple fire starts.The NWS reported brush fires in Cleveland and Asheville, Alabama with a structure fire triggered by lightning near Tuscaloosa. Lightning sparked several wildfires in Lexington, NWS reported.  First responders raced to communities across parts of Texas and Oklahoma that were affected by the initial stages of the severe weather outbreak Monday night and into Tuesday morning.One person was injured in Ada, Oklahoma, by a tornado after severe storms passed through the area, causing significant damage to structures, power lines and trees.National Weather Service teams from Norman were already on the ground surveying the storm damage, and the initial assessment found damage from an EF-1 tornado with peak winds of 105 mph. The EF-1 tornado knocked out power to thousands and displaced 24 families, according to City of Ada officials. TORNADO STRIKES DALLAS SUBURB AS SEVERE WEATHER OUTBREAK SWEEPS SOUTHDamaging wind gusts have also been reported across the region, including in Hillsboro, Texas. The city reported a 62-mph wind gust early Tuesday morning, while Dallas Fort Worth International Airport reported a 74-mph wind gust, which is as strong as a Category 1 hurricane. A second round of severe weather brought 60 mph gusts to DFW and eerily orange skies from a dust storm.  Irving, Texas, was also hit hard by the storms, and police have been asking residents to avoid some areas due to the damage.Numerous reports of tractor-trailers being knocked over during the severe weather have also been made. According to a report from FOX 4 Dallas, a tractor-trailer was blown over on Interstate 35 in Glenn Heights near the Dallas-Ellis County line.Major damage was also reported in the community of Lewisville, Texas.Officials said the storms moved through Lewisville around 5:30 a.m. local time, bringing down multiple power lines and trees and causing power outages across the city.Video recorded in Lewisville shows damage after an apparent roof collapse at a Benjamin Moore Paint warehouse in the city. Some of the walls were ripped away from the structure, and pieces of yellow insulation were found scattered across the area.Multiple injuries were also reported in Camp County, Texas after storms knocked over several camping trailers at Big Al’s Barefoot Bay in the community of Pittsburgh. A photo shared by officials shows significant damage to the roof of the Irving Family Advocacy Center building. Officials said a temporary shelter has been set up for those impacted by the severe weather. According to a report from FOX 4 Dallas, the tin roof at Plano West High School was ripped off by powerful winds as the storms tore through the area on Tuesday. One of the school’s football coaches suggested that the damage also impacted the gym and locker room. FOX 4 Dallas said that school was still in session on Tuesday, and the damaged areas have been closed off.Power outages have been skyrocketing for much of the day, with more than 400,000 outages reported in Texas, according to FindEnergy.com.Two more EF-1 tornadoes were confirmed by the NWS office in Shreveport, Louisiana from early Tuesday morning.The first tornado occurred at 9 a.m. CT east of the Texas-Louisiana State line in Caddo Parish with a maximum wind speed of 93 mph, according to the NWS. Another tornado briefly touched down in the Highlands neighborhood of North Shreveport at 9:19 a.m. CT, with a maximum wind speed of 93 mph.